Vacuum tube cycle counter



Feb. 21, 1939. w. P. OVERBECK VACUUM TUBE CYCLE COUNTER Filed April 25, 1936 WELDING CONTROL Inventor WILCOX F. OVEZBECK fi'orfle y "PATENT ctr-ice v alums vacuum ma orcu: comma Wilcox P. Over-beck, W

bymeane assignment: to Baytheon'Ma-nuf Company, a corporation of Delaware. Application April :5, 193a, sci-n1 No. ram

comm. (curls-18s) This invention relates to vacuum tube cycle -counters,'and more particularly to such a device useful in resistance welding. v n

An object of this invention is to devise a simplevac'uumtube circuit capable of counting the numberof cycles 'in a current impulse, thus rendering it suitable for making a continuous check of the current in successive welds of a resistance welding apparatus. r

Another object of this invention is to devise an arrangement whereby the distribution of the current passing through various parts of a resistance weld'may be readily determined. I

A son further object of this invention is to devise such a vacuum tube circuit which is ca-n pable of general application as an alternating current ballistic galvanometer.

The foregoing. and other objects of my invention will be best understood from the following description of an eigemplification thereof, refer.-

.ence being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein the figure is a diagrammatic represen-- tation of one form of circuit embodying this invention. e 1.

Recent developments in the art of resistance welding for the manufacture of metal envelope Y space discharge'tubes have introduced complications in measurement technique. In the particuiar case of space discharge tubes, it'is necessary that the welds produced be as perfect as possible in order that the tubes shall not develop leaks. In order toproduce such-perfect welds,

it is necessary that a very close checkbe had on the number of cycles of current fed to the weld. Since but a, few cycles are used in each instance, meters designed for use under steady state 0011fditions obviously, cannot be used. invention solves the above problem in a very simple and inexpensive manner. e In the figure; alternating current of standard frequency is supplied from input power lines I to a welding control 2. The welding control furnishes a Dredeterminednumber ofcycles to theprimar'y winding 3 oi the weldingtrans- 4 former 4. Across the secondary 5 of the. welding transformer l are placed the welding electrodes 5 between which the article to be'welded is placed. In orderto indicate directly the number of cycles of current furnished to the primary winding 3, I provide a vacuum tube circuit which is eoupled in any suitable mannerto the weld .ing circuit through a coupling transformer l.

' a In the particular; embodiment shown I have illustrated two modes" of. connecting the primary winding [of the transformer l to the welding The present circuit. ,A switch d is provided so that either 7 mode of connection may be utilized; when the switch Q-is in. the right-hand position, the primary winding 8 is connected directly across the primary winding 3 through the conductors ll 5 and l I. In the left-hand position of the switch 9, the primary. winding 8 is connected across the' terminals of a search coil, indicated diagrammatically at l2. The outer terminals of the secondary winding ii of the transformer lare 10 connected directly to the two-anodes ll of a vacuum tube ll of the type known as a duo-diode triode. The center of the secondary winding 13 is connected through a resistance It and a g condenser I! to the cathode I! of the tube ll. 15

. The cathode l8 may be of the indirectly-heated type provided with aheater l9.

Y The cathode is and the two anodes u con stitute a full-wave rectifier for the alternating voltage which appears across the terminals of 20 thez'secondary II. The rectified current flows through the resistance 16, thus charging the condenser l'l. In order to control the eflect of the resistance II, it may be provided with an adjustable tap 20; Across the.condenser I! is placed 25 a high resistance 2|. Anydesired portion of the voltage appearing across the condenser Il may be impressed upon the grid 22 of the tube I! by means of an adjustable tap 23 along the resistor 2|. The anode 24 of the tube I! may be co'n- 3 nected through a direct-current meter 25 to one terminal 28 of a suitable source of power. The cathode'l8 is connected to the otherterminal 21 of said source' of power. The source of power 'connected to the terminals'll. and 21V may be 5 either direct or alternating current. In order to adjust the zero reading of the meter", an adiustable shunt 28 may be placedacross the terminals of the meter 25. The meter 28 may be calibrated in any suitable manner, al- 40 though I prefer to calibrate.it directly in cycles as illustrated. In order toremove the charge across the condenser llmore quickly than said charge leaks off through the resistance 2|, a short-circuiting switch 29 may be connected directly across the condenser l'l.

If the switch 9 is placed in the right-hand pulse will be impressed on the primary winding 8 of the transformer I.- This alternating-mirrent pulse is rectified by the circuit described above.

and the condenser Ilischargedthrough the I resistor Ii. 'I'heresistcr ltischosenoisucha 58 I valuethat thetime constant 01 the circuit is I large compared to the time of duration of the current to the anode 2d inversely in proportion of the charge on the condenser i7. Thus the voltage on the condenser I7 is measured directly by the meter 25. Since the time integral of the voltage of the alternating-current pulse is directly proportional to the number of cycles supplied to the primary winding 3, where the voltage of the source remains constant, the meter may be calibrated directly in cycles. However, there may actually be a considerable variation in the voltage of the source without introducing an appreciable error in the indication I appearing on the meter 25. Thus in a practical circuit, no difilculty was encountered in distinguishing variations of one-half of a cycle;

With the circuit connected and operating .as

described above, the measurement appears as a sudden deflection of the meter in the anode circuit.' ihis deflection remains fixed while the observation is made. After the'observation has been completed, which is a matter of a fraction of a secondth'e switch 29 may be closed, thereby removingthe charge across the condenser H, The switch 2%? may be controlled automatically so that just prior to the operation or the actuating mem-.

her of the welding control, the switch 29 is closed so as to remove the charge from acrossthe condenser, thus re-conditioning it to enable the device to read the number of cycles in the subse- I uuent weld.

When the measurement of current and voltage distribution through the welding circuit is desired,

the switch 5 may he placed in the left-hand'position, thus connecting the search coil i2 across the primary winding 3. Since the voltage noranally induced in the search coil I2 is considerably less than that which appears across the primary winding 3, the value of the resistance 52 should I he conslderably'less, and preferably the resistor is is shortcircuited'entirely. Under these conditions the reading-on the meter 25 will be in the form or values ofpeak currents or voltages in the particular part of the'welding circuit under investigation. The search coil I2 may then be placed in any position in which there is some linkage with the coil i2 of flux created by flow of current through the welding circuit. By placing the search coil invarious positions around the weld itself, the distribution of the peak currents or voltages through the weld may be, determined."

' This invention is not limited to the particular details or construction or use as described above as many euuivalents suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. For example, the device may be useful in other fields where readings of alternating currents of short duration are desired. It will be seen that the device is in effect an alterhating-current ballistic 'galvanometerhand may;

be used for that purposewherever desired. Other modifications and equivalents will readily suggest themselves. It is accordingly desired that the appended claims be given a broad interpretation archers commensurate with the scope of the invention within the art.

What is claimed is:

1. An alternating current-measuring'device Q comprising means for coupling said deviceto a source of a limited number of alternating current pulses to be masured, means forrectifying the alternating current pulses supplied to. said device by said coupling means, a condenser, an impedance in series with said condenser, means for chargingsaid condenser with said rectified current through said impedance, the time constant time series circuit of said condenser and said impedance being large as compared with the time duration oi each of said current pulses and means for directly measuring-the voltage appearing across said condenser. I

2. An alternating current-measuring device for measuring alternating current pulses, comprising means for coupling said device to a source of a limited number of alternating current pulsesto be measured, means for rectifyingthe alternating .currentpulses supplied to saiddevice by said coupling means, a condenser, a re 'tance in series with saidcondenser, means for oh I rging'said'condenser with said rectified-current through said resistance, the time constant of the series circuit of said condenser and resistance being large compared with the time of duration ofeach of said current pulses, and means for directly measuring the voltage appearing across said condenser.

I 3. An alternating current-measuring device, comprising means for'coupling said device to a source of a limited number of alternating current pulses to be measured, means'for rectifying the alternating current pulses supplied to said device by said coupling means, a condenser, an

impedance in; series with said condenser, means for charging said condenser with said rectified current through said impedance, thetime con- Stant of the series circuit of said condenser and said impedance being large as compared with the time duration of each'of said current pulses, a space discharge device having a cathode, an

- anode, and a control electrode; means for impressing the said'controi electrode a voltage proportional to the voltage across said condenser, and means for measuring thecurrent flowing in the anode circuit. I I

4:. An alternating. current-measuring device comprising means for coupling's'aid device to a source of a' limited number or alternating current" pulses to be measured, means'for rectifying the alternating current pulses supplied to said device by said coupling means; a condenser, ,an impedance in series with said condenser, a leakage resistance across said condenser, means for charging said condenser with said rectified current- I through said impedance, the time constant of the series circuit of said condenser and said impedance being large as compared with-the time duration of each of said current pulses, a space discharge device having a cathode, an anode, and a control electrode, means for impressing on said control electrode a.voltage proportional to the voltage across said condenser and means for measuring the current flowing in the anode circult.

5. An alternating current-measuring device comprising means for coupling said device. to a source of a limited number of alternating current I pulses to be measured, means for'rectifying the alternating current pulses supplied to said device by said coupling means a condenser,"-'an impedof the series circuit of said condenser and said 6. An alternating current-measuring device comprising means for coupling said device to "a source 01' a limited number of alternating current pulses to be measured, a space discharge device having a cathode, an anode, a control electrode, and rectifier anodes, said coupling means being connected to said cathode and rectifier anodes to rectify the alternating current pulses supplied to said device by said coupling means, a condenser,

an impedance in series with said condenser, means a for charging said condenser with said rectified current through said impedance, the time constant oi the series circuit of said condenser and said impedance being large as compared with the time duration of each or said current pulses, means for impressing on said control electrode a voltage proportional to the voltage across said condenser, and means for measuring the current flowing in the anode circuit.

wrncox r. o. 

